초록 ▼

A micromachined structure for handling fluids with an applied high voltage, i.e. for electrophoresis, includes a glass or other highly insulative substrate on which are formed very small diameter capillary channels of e.g. silicon nitride. Due to the absence of a silicon substrate, this structure is

A micromachined structure for handling fluids with an applied high voltage, i.e. for electrophoresis, includes a glass or other highly insulative substrate on which are formed very small diameter capillary channels of e.g. silicon nitride. Due to the absence of a silicon substrate, this structure is highly electrically insulative. The silicon nitride channels are formed by a micro-machining and etch process, so that they are initially defined in an etched sacrificial silicon wafer by conformal coating of etched features in the silicon wafer with a silicon nitride layer, which is then patterned to define the desired channels. The silicon wafer is bonded to the glass substrate and the bulk of the silicon wafer is sacrificially etched away, leaving the desired silicon nitride channels with supporting silicon mesas. The remaining silicon nitride "shell" is bonded to the glass substrate and substantially duplicates the etched features in the original silicon wafer. The capillary channels are of a material such as low stress silicon nitride and there is no electrical shorting path to the highly insulative glass substrate.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [15.] A fluid handling structure comprising:a planar substrate of a first dielectric material and having a principal surface;a plurality of channel structures formed on the principal surface, each channel structure extending from the principal surface and being of a second differing diel

[ I claim:] [15.] A fluid handling structure comprising:a planar substrate of a first dielectric material and having a principal surface;a plurality of channel structures formed on the principal surface, each channel structure extending from the principal surface and being of a second differing dielectric material, and defining a fluid-carrying channel between the channel structure and the principal surface;at least one through-hole defined in the substrate and communicating with one of the channels; andan electrode on a backside surface of the planar substrate and extending into the through-hole.